Cedar Point Trip Report - 6/6/12 (Day 3)

Seeing that the day before was such a great success, there was no reason to change the gameplan. Then again, given the awesome crowd situation, there really wasn’t much of a need for a serious gameplan. There were still a few things we wanted to hit that we had yet to get to, and certainly we’d be revisiting our favorites, probably multiple times over each if luck was on our side.

Being so close to the action, the morning was wonderfully stress-free, as we rolled out into the sunny morning just shy of 9am. I could tell we were just a couple minutes behind our pace from the day before, as the national anthem started just as we approached the ticket booths. In an odd moment of confusion, the ticket takers stopped the very instant the music started.

Like someone banned from working on the Sabbath, they awkwardly stood at half-attention, staring off at a flag that wasn’t even in sight. It was hard not to shake our heads and mumble an annoyed, “Seriously?” as they seemed to take patriotism a bit too far. No, it didn’t really slow us down, but it’s an odd policy that doesn’t seem to be about guest service. Apparently giving the appearance of loving Amuricah was thought to be more valuable than letting guests go into the park. Sorry Cedar Point, you got it wrong – guests don’t give a crap about your token gesture, we just want in.

As the last decibel of Whitney Houston’s extended “braaaaaave” faded, they took our tickets, and we were able to follow behind the small crowd now free of the rope barrier. It was the same split and the same quiet but excited walk back to Maverick, and it was almost entirely déjà vu until we came up to the crowd waiting outside the entrance.

There were probably only 50 people between us and the closed entrance, and we instinctively joined the growing line to consider our options. There were a couple confused minutes before we saw empty trains cycling, and in just a few minutes, we were let in to thread through the queue. Making it quickly into the station, we decided on getting that token front ride, and had to wait just two or three cycles before it was our chance.

The view is pretty terrific, you really can track how steep the first drop is and judge how banked the twists are. There’s a great bit of wind to contend with, but that’s part of the fun. Getting on a ride this much, it seems only fitting to ensure a front seat ride, but once we were off and aimed to be right back on, we just caught the first available row for our second ride. If only I could start every day like this.

With the couple small delays so far, it looked like we might have to settle for a single ride on Millennium Force before heading to Dragster. We wouldn’t even get that. I must have jinxed it with the picture I just had to take to document how short the line was, starting at the unloading station. We weren’t there for long before an ominous sight – the train stopped halfway up the lift. Contemplating how awful it would be to need to be evacuated from there, we also figured it may be a bit of a delay.

It was a bummer to have bail, but it seemed like the smart call. The first few minutes are a great chance to fill in some solid rides with minimal waits, and we didn’t want to waste it in a line moving nowhere. We took the gate into the unloading station and headed for Dragster. We didn’t have the heart to tell all the arriving guests that they wouldn’t be able to ride just yet.

It was just at the top of the hour, so we had a pretty favorable wait this morning, a straight shot from halfway down the queue into the station split. It was less than 20 minutes, and there were none of the shenanigans here as there were the day before. We went right from the station, to breakneck speeds, to the highest point in the park (if not the county), and back down to the ground all in about half a minute.

Somewhere along the way, I saw that Millennium Force had come back to life, so we dealt with a little backtracking to get that first ride of the day. There was a bit more activity in the queue than when we had arrived a half hour prior, but seeing the ride active was all that mattered.

It was just about 15 minutes or so, and we were again enjoying the rush it consistently provides. We also took in a free, if brief, sneak peek at the Dinosaurs Alive attraction as we zipped through the circuit. This upcharge walk-through out of the old PaddleWheel Excursions promised up-close access to several animatronic prehistoric figures on the island in the center of park where Millennium Force does its thing, but the on-ride preview we got was all we really cared for.

Not that we would have gone on it anyway, but we saw a relatively sizeable wait for Mantis as we crossed the courtyard. It looked easily like 30 minutes, but I suppose people needed something to ride after having been turned away from Millennium Force. Instead we were headed for Iron Dragon, one of the few lesser rides we felt like revisiting. As expected, it was a pleasant enough trip through the trees, and also a nice way to gauge the crowds as we peeked into the Dragster queue while climbing the second lift. The crowds were again gauged as “light”.

One ride we didn’t want to miss out on was the train, the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad. Our eventual target was the same lunch spot from the day before, but we’d want a round trip to get the full train experience, not to mention a chance to stop by the petting zoo. The old-timey locomotive and its passenger cars pulled up in a few minutes, and we were able to find a row with no trouble.

This first leg is the lesser portion of the two-station route, though it still provides some terrific views of Millennium Force and Maverick, otherwise only possible with some illegal stopping along Perimeter Road. The first coaster was an interesting sight because the ride was again offline, and we rode past a mechanic walking about with purpose underneath the station. The scene was as expected at Maverick, with trains zipping about the low layout.

There was a brief layover at the Frontier Town station, in the almost literal shadow of Mean Streak. Without even contemplating hopping off for a visit there, we were content to finish the round trip in style, getting a scenic view of the mine ride, and a large number of respectably thoughtful Old West skeleton scenes. I had somehow completely forgotten that this hilarious touch even existed.

As promised, Megan was not to be denied quality time with the softest and cutest of farm animals, and a stop at the barn along the Frontier Trail was in order. Unfortunately, the free-range pen was closed, perhaps giving the animals a breather from grabbing hands. Instead we had to settle for a fence-side encounter, which gave us ample opportunity to poke at a few of the braver sheep and goats. Sure, they seemed more interested in making a meal of that wooden fence, but at least they stood still long enough to get a little petting in.

In this area, we were pretty much in the heart of the park’s three water ride options. The new Shoot-the-Rapids log flume, and the mainstays, the Snake River Falls shoot-the-chute and the Thunder Canyon raft ride are the options. I was ambivalent about getting on at least the recent addition, and with our accommodations so close, a quick change into and out of water-appropriate clothing was a relatively simple matter. Megan has even less of an affinity for water rides, and while Shoot-the-Rapids would have been a new experience for me, the lazy, low layout with a couple drops wasn’t calling my name. Lunch instead seemed like a better use of our time.

As we had both promised and limited ourselves, we were making a second visit to Chick-fil-A. Things were a bit crazier here this time around, but once into the madness it was clear that almost the entire crowd was actually waiting to receive their orders. I guess they’re better at taking people’s orders than fulfilling them. Despite the crowd, the food came quickly enough, and Megan had snagged a table out on the patio. She mixed it up with a spicy chicken sandwich; I had 12 more nuggets, and savored each one, knowing it would be a long time until I’d be dining at a Chick-fil-A next.

Our next stop was another repeat activity, getting a third ride of the visit on Sky Hawk. Once again the wait was just to get on the next cycle, and we had a dangerously short pause between finishing a meal and riding a thrill ride. Fortunately, we both have relatively strong stomachs.

Not at all as a means to aid digestion, I coerced Megan into a ride on the Antique Cars. Don’t confuse this with the other two car rides in the park, though it provides almost entirely the same experience. It was a bit silly to wait for easily 15 minutes as groups of kids ahead of us each insisted on getting their own car. Thinking about it later, it would have been preferable to go for a drive in our real car around the peninsula, though this ride probably had more legroom than our tiny rental. I drove and Megan rode and waved from the back, Queen Elizabeth II style.

Working our way towards the front of the, we hit the Gemini-Magnum combo, both with all-but-nonexistent waits and the same level of enjoyment we’d been taking advantage of all visit long. As a lark I peeked at the Dragster queue, only slightly annoyed how much backtracking is required when coming from Magnum.

There we saw the real stunner, empty up to the station split. As we waited a couple minutes to get into the station, the line slimmed further. It was all of 15 minutes in total to get on the ride, and as we were thrown down the midway and into the sky with absurd forces, I tried not to think how I just waited longer for the Antique Cars.

Feeling a slight obsessive-compulsive urge for evenness, we went right from Dragster’s exit to Power Tower’s entrance, this time aiming for the Space Shot side. Even with only one tower running for this option, it was still walk-on. The launch was nice, and there’s some good airtime at the top, but it’s an all-too-quick view if you ask me.

Skipping a plethora of mostly-visited diversions along the midway, we got down to WindSeeker and were eager to revisit the late-night highlight from the day before. We were on the next cycle, and while the absurd heights didn’t seem to rattle me as much this time around, the ridiculous panorama laid out below was just as stunning in the sunshine.

Seeing a slightly shorter wait than the prior afternoon, we joined the queue for Wicked Twister. It took about 15 minutes to get on – and this time we went toward the front and got the second row. The experience varies largely from one end to the other; keep in mind you get two full thrusts forward and only hit the peak once going backward. It’s a fun enough ride, mostly thanks to the launches.

We revisited another nearby flat ride, Trioka, missing the loading after walking right past the entrance around the entire footprint. We looped back and caught the next run, now fully able to acknowledge that we were having the run of the place if we were coming back to a ride like this.

One missed attraction thus far seemed to be back online, the ill-fated (along with Disaster Transport) Space Spiral. Sure, the windows are grimy, and the air conditioning is on its last legs – but you are taken way, way up. I guess the thought is WindSeeker makes it obsolete, but I wasn’t about to turn down a ride.

No change in our fortunes, we were on the next cycle, and I snapped only partially blurred shots as we twisted up the tower. We came to the top, and spiraled for a while. I knew that you were given some time at the apex, but after a couple minutes without coming down, it struck us that something might be amiss.

All doubt was removed when the spinning stopped completely. Since the vehicle is a circle with everyone facing out, you can really only see the few riders immediately next to you. We exchanged worried glances with our fellow passengers, but tried to enjoy the bonus time at this altitude.

A few more minutes passed, and the onboard operator was on the phone with people back on the ground, and word was there was a temporary delay. No kidding. The real shocker was when our operator explained that she didn’t know how common this was because today was her second day. Her lack of experience didn’t fill anyone with confidence.

Trying to block out thoughts of plummeting to the ground, we were asked to be patient. Megan and I each had our phones, so we were sure to document the ordeal online as it was happening. After 20 minutes, I asked, “I wonder how much longer we have to be up here before they'll give us free stuff,” which was followed shortly by, “Or put us on the news.” I remember thinking that it only took two hours for those poor saps on WindSeeker the other day.

While our friends responded to our cries for help on social media by making claims on all our nicest stuff, we played the waiting game. There were a couple false starts as the spinning commenced, only to stop shortly after. I believe the low point was after another phone call, the operator explained that we might hear some unusual noises, and that was just maintenance working on the problem. I’m sure banging on the tower is somewhere in the maintenance guide.

From this perspective, we were given a good chance to scout out next year’s addition, the B&M wing coaster. Early rumors project something sizeable, and while the ride we were on has a tiny footprint, the area reclaimed by demolishing Disaster Transport and perhaps usurping some backstage and parking areas is more than enough for a major league roller coaster. As the minutes ticked away, we felt less and less sad about Space Spiral getting the axe.

We just hoped it would stand long enough for our safe return to earth, and about 45 minutes after our ride began, we started a painfully slow descent. I was just glad it was a controlled decline, and equally as glad no one aboard had an urgent restroom need. Finally back to the station, the exit doors aligned, then opened, and we were met by a series of higher-ups.

They asked where we wanted to go, and it was a tough call considering there were no huge lines to jump. The default answer was of course Millennium Force, and we gave our names. No physical exit pass, we’d just need to give our names to the operators as we walked in through exit. In the meantime, we said our sarcastic goodbyes, now fully understanding the park’s decision to give up on maintaining this ride.

There was no better way to get back into the action than by heading across the midway and queuing up for Raptor. Here we saw the line at its longest, almost back to the soda machines, but with all the queues closed and the standard three trains going, it took a mere five minutes to get into the row of our choice. We did our thing over the midway, and while Megan was a little worn out, I lined back up for a final ride. I was beyond satisfied, and I felt comfortable calling Raptor my favorite ride in the park after yet another visit.

What it lacks in intensity, it makes up for in grace, disorientation, and interaction. It still packs quite a punch, though I did feel some adjustment was in order. While keeping it ahead of the pack at this park, I did drop it a notch below last summer’s sleeper hit, Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion. That ride is wall-to-wall insanity, and I don’t want to succumb to too much sentimentality for Raptor. Still, at #5 on a list of over 250 steel coasters, its place is etched.

Despite the recent down time stuck on Space Spiral, we were again set to walk back up the beach to our hotel and take a proper break. First we hit the souvenir store underneath the Sky Ride station, and picked up some goodies. I got my usual Cedar Point souvenir, a poster park map that would replace the now-outdated version from 2004 frame one the wall in our study. We also grabbed a couple shirts, so as to show off our amusement park travels in the future.

This time the walk along the shoreline included a compulsory toe dip into the water. I can’t say I’ve ever actually been in Lake Erie before, and I certainly had never been outside the park on my previous visits. The water was actually not too cold, though I think I’ve become Pacific Ocean normalized, and we all know how freezing that is, in California at least.

Our stop at the hotel pretty much followed the pattern from the day before – wine and rest. We were taking this break a bit earlier in the day though, so we had a few hours to revisit the highlights once or twice more each. Gearing up for the home stretch, we were out of our room and at our nearby entrance in no time.

Just like last time, Magnum would get us started post cocktail hour. We were around the corner and caught up to the back of the line on the stairs. Taking our usual spot at the back of the train after a couple minutes, we were out of the station and up the lift, once again spying our car in the lot below us. As soon as we were off the top of lift, it was 60 seconds of classic pre-Computer Aided Design madness before we were right back at the base.

Not wanting our hard-earned line cut on Millennium Force to go to waste, we made the trek around the island of rides in the center of the park to the other side of the peninsula. As instructed, we headed up the exit, passing a couple swarms of departing riders. We waited for a quiet moment to get the operators’ attention, and awkwardly explained what we were doing there. They didn’t seem entirely shocked by our request, but it didn’t seem like something they were all that accustomed to dealing with.

After giving our name several times, they put a call in. Apparently there wasn’t anyone on the other end, or the attendant just left a message, but she soon hung up and asked us to wait momentarily. Moments became minutes, and without being ungrateful we were probably visibly confused by the delay.

My hopes of getting the VIP treatment and boarding the front row in the unloading station were dashed when the attendant had clearly lost her patience, and opened the gate into the main queue, and directed us in. I appreciate that she didn’t want to keep us waiting any longer, but I could have done without her unpleasant, “I hope you’re not lying” comment.

All together it took about 10 minutes from when we got into the unloading station until we were onboard, saving probably about twice that amount of time, so while it wasn’t a massive benefit or a free front seat ride, we weren’t about to complain. Of course we were headed for the back, and of course we had a hell of a time.

I wanted to get in one last ride on Maverick, but Megan was in no mood for it. Instead she went to corral dinner for us while I headed for my solo ride, and we would meet up at Dragster. It was a quick final walk through the Frontier Trail, and I soon found a tolerable wait for Maverick, eyeballing it at somewhere around 30-40 minutes.

As a single rider, I knew I could take that option at the base of the station stairs, but I was disappointed to confirm that there was no shorter alternative. Not having the singer rider line accessible right from the entrance seems a disservice, though it does a great job of keeping it all but empty after you’ve waited through the vast majority of the queue.

I made it to the split in under a half hour, and took my express route into the station. Somehow over the three days, we racked up quite a few rides, and this would be number eight for the visit, a great tally for such a sought-after attraction. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite ride in the park, but I was eager to give it one more run to see exactly where it would land.

I was through the wild circuit in a minute or two, and I tallied my thoughts: crazy intense curves, ridiculous airtime, nice inversions and launch, fun drop. I felt like once I got the hang of the layout, it was markedly easier to anticipate some of the maneuvers, but several were so extreme they were hard to keep up with even if you knew what was coming. There was no getting around the unpleasant restraints, and I’d say that was the biggest drawback, along with some of the moves being a bit much.

In the end, I couldn’t put it in the highest reaches of my rankings – as impressive as it is, I never really found myself “enjoying” it as much as some other rides in the park. Still, it lands nicely in my Top 20 at #16, a spot worthy of plenty of accolades, though I’ll probably let others rave about this more than I feel the need to.

Finishing the loop around the back of the park, I met up with Megan by Dragster’s station, and we were back into the short line where I enjoyed my sandwich to go. I didn’t really have all that much time to enjoy it, as the wait was almost as short as last time, and we were inside the station in just a few minutes, with only about the usual 10 minute wait from there. Our ride went off without a hitch, and gave us a nice shot of adrenaline to finish off the evening with. After almost half a dozen rides, I was finally getting to take in the view from the top, if only 3 seconds at a time.

Time was still mostly on our side as we crossed the peninsula to get a final ride or two on Millennium Force. The line spilled off the ramp by a couple switchbacks, but we weren’t looking at much more than 20 or 25 minutes in total, and we could see it dwindling behind us. The dusk ride was again exhilarating, though we were not as thrilled to be back amongst the insects as we hurtled through the air.

To break up the double ride, and give us a chance to enjoy one last amusement park mainstay of the visit, we headed just up the path to a shop selling funnel cakes. There were some customers going for some absolutely obscene ice cream sundae monstrosities - just in case powdered sugar and a fruit topping wasn’t enough for you. We played it safe and still felt a little guilty after finishing the sweet and greasy treat.

Back to Millennium Force with now under an hour left in the day, we saw the queue a bit shorter than the last time through. As we gained the ramp, we could see and hear Luminosity going, a pretty consistent signal that we would need to make our last ride choices. We figured with a bearable wait here, we could fit in at least Dragster, maybe squeeze in a nighttime Turbo Drop, and finish it off with Magnum right at the top of the hour.

Guess what happens as soon as you try to make plans. Trying to ignore the possibility that I myself had jinxed it again, the ride came to a halt as all three trains stacked up in front of us. Our final minutes ticked away, though our wait did shorten a bit as people ahead left for other attractions. We agreed that there was pretty much nowhere we’d prefer to be, and once it was clear that they were just taking the malfunctioning train off the track, it seemed reasonable to stick it out.

Again running, now with just two trains, we got a good bit closer to the action, and before long that third train was added back. For us, it was a close call whether the added capacity would be worth the delay since we were just shy of the station by this point, but there wasn’t much we could do.

Visiting Power Tower and Magnum was now off the table; I did some quick math and it looked like we’d be lucky to get to Dragster before it closed. There were about 10 minutes until 10pm, and we quickly strapped in, and said farewell to Millennium Force with our eighth ride of the trip.

I did my best to not think about the clock (it’s a hard urge to fight) and I savored the sensations of screaming through the dark. Well, it was less cheering than general yelling coming from me, but I did make a bit of noise. With more exposure, I can say I think I underestimated this one, if only slightly. What it lacks in crushing or ejecting forces, it provides amazing speed, some nice G’s and restrained moments of air, and an absolutely stunning first drop. All that said, I swapped it with Dragster in my rankings, now at #6, and now my second favorite coaster in the park.

Time was not on our side as we exited the train ahead of our former fellow passengers with five minutes until closing. A dead sprint surely would have had us at Dragster with several seconds to spare, but we really didn’t see cause for that. Instead we gave it a brisk effort, but even so we had only made it past Mantis and Iron Dragon, around the Coasters diner, and up underneath Corkscrew when we hit top of the hour.

Hoping, but definitely not expecting a grace period, we continued in the same direction just to see. Of course the station was still active, though we expected the queue to be blocked off. Up ahead I could see a line attendant, and even a security guard. Either they had just closed things up, or were about to. When a couple folks seemed to get in line, I ran ahead and egged Megan on.

I came to the entrance, surprised to see it still open now that we were past the cutoff on even the slowest watches. Megan caught up, we went right in, and it felt like we were definitely getting away with something. We walked into the second station, obviously without a chance for that front row. Of course the attendants were doing their usual, “we can’t send a train with an empty row” spiel to clean out what was left of the station.

Some new arrivals behind us filled in the middle of the waiting train, and we were able to get the second row for one of the last trains of the night. There were no breakdowns or delays this time around, unlike last night, and just like day one, we finished off a remarkable day with a remarkable ride, the second tallest in the world, and the third fastest. It may have fallen a spot to its slower but longer compatriot across the park on this trip, but it’s a hell of a way to go out.

We arrived back at the station area as final train of the night was about to launch. Grateful to get the bonus ride, we hopped off more than satisfied by the ride, the day, and our phenomenal visit. Not only did we get to enjoy one of the best run and most iconic coaster parks in the country, we did it pretty much from top to bottom. Of the rides we were actually able to go on, there were about eight we skipped. Most were generic carnival rides we’ve done plenty of times before, and the rest were the water rides we were ambivalent about, or at least I was.

Of the rides we did hit, we went absolutely nuts on some of the best coasters in the world. There was a nice round ten on Millennium Force, I hit Maverick eight times, Dragster and Magnum six times each, Raptor five times, Gemini four times, Wicked Twister and Iron Dragon twice each. We got our token single rides on Mantis, Mean Streak, Blue Streak, Corkscrew, Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Disaster Transport and Woodstock Express. All that doesn’t include about two dozen rides spread among the thrill rides, carnival rides, and scenic rides.

The light crowds were the stuff of legends. Outside the few instances where a breakdown was thrown in for good measure, the average mid-day wait for the big three was probably 30 minutes or less. Of course first thing in the morning and late at night we were looking at less than a quarter hour, if even that. For the other 30-plus rides in the park we got to, the vast majority were walk-on, or all but walk-on. I suppose it’s a bit comical that the longest wait after Maverick, Millennium Force, and Dragster was the Antique Cars ride, but that would have been worth waiting double or triple that, no question. Or not.

Contented as you can get from a visit this monumental, we headed out of the quiet park, making the quick walk to our anticlimactic exit. No Main Street, USA madness here as the few things we passed were shuttered tight for the night, and we slipped out of the park and back to our room, taking advantage of the unforgettably short commute one final time.

I could probably go without reiterating how special a place this is, and how grateful we were for such a terrific visit. A park run like this, with rides like these, employees who care, and in a setting this stunning is deserving of heaps of praise. Maybe that can go overboard from time to time, and I’ll be the first to extol the virtues of a handful of other parks to keep things in perspective. But even so, it’s pretty much impossible to walk out of the gates here and not think you just left the best amusement park in the world.

Fully aware that that’s a lot to live up to, we were still excited about the two days ahead, at two parks we were visiting for the first time. There’s always an inescapable twinge of bittersweet as a visit like this comes to an end, though the great thing about our three amazing days was that the sense of accomplishment and exhaustion were pretty strong sedatives. Despite knowing we still had a lot to look forward to, there was no trouble sleeping soundly.

You should send CP your TR and they should use it for marketing. Once again, wonderful TR! After reading about your 3 days there I really want to go back badly and instead of staying at the Super 8 down the road splurge a little. I think you may have inadvertently talked me into it! ;~)

Glad you guys had such an amazing trip and thanks for taking the time to write a few masterpieces for us to enjoy!

Jen

p.s. There's a petting zoo there?! It's amazing how much you miss when you only go for a day (one time 1/2 a day) rushing from coaster to coaster.

You should send CP your TR and they should use it for marketing. Once again, wonderful TR! After reading about your 3 days there I really want to go back badly and instead of staying at the Super 8 down the road splurge a little. I think you may have inadvertently talked me into it! ;~)

Glad you guys had such an amazing trip and thanks for taking the time to write a few masterpieces for us to enjoy!

Jen

p.s. There's a petting zoo there?! It's amazing how much you miss when you only go for a day (one time 1/2 a day) rushing from coaster to coaster.

Uh-oh, I think my review may be a little too glowing if it could be used as marketing material! ;) As I mention in the conclusion, I've spent plenty of time reminding folks that there is a country and world full of other great parks besides Cedar Point, and that no park warrants the mindless obsession it sometimes gets. At the same time, it's a pretty damn awesome park, and I'm not about to deny that.

I'm glad the report has encouraged a visit, and I cannot recommend Breakers enough! Aim for a queen bed room in the older section of the hotel, and it really isn't much more than a Super 8. Add to that the obscenely cheap park tickets you get with it, plus the extra hour each morning, and it's really quite a bargain.

My wife is a cute animal enthusiast, let's say, so she never turns down a visit to a petting zoo. We've spent hours in Animal Kingdom (yes, there's one there too!) among the goats and sheep, probably as much time as we spend on Everest. CP's is tucked away on the Frontier Trail, and is another terrific touch showing how well-rounded their offerings truly are.

It's my pleasure to write, and to hear that you enjoy it, so thanks again for reading. There are two more parks on the trip (I just finished my Waldameer TR, and I'll post tomorrow, probably), so the adventure isn't over just yet. I'll also write up last week's Superman Media Day report. Been a pretty busy few weeks! :}